‘So many great causes’

December 23, 2014 ·
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Tis the season for giving, but it could also be called the season for asking.

So many great causes, far and wide, however here’s one in our own backyard that readers might want to consider – the Dufferin Children’s Fund. http://dcafs.on.ca/index.php/how-you-can-help/the-childrens-fund/

The fund helps pay for essentials not normally covered by social agencies serving children and families in Dufferin County. It might be art therapy, music lessons, learning aids or post-secondary education assistance, for children and youth receiving service through Dufferin Child and Family Services (DCAFS).

The fund is administered by DCAFS, and more than 60% of the money raised has gone to offset tuition costs for young people struggling to earn a post-secondary education.

This fall we’ve had more requests than available funds. In fact we could only give grants to one in four of the students. The rest have been asked to apply again in hopes that donations pour in for Wellies to Wishes, the Children’s Fund major fundraiser, to be held April 18, 2015 at the Mono Community Centre. It’s a fun event where folks sport their best rubber boots and cocktail wear to sample great food and bid on amazing auction items.

Tickets for Wellies for Wishes are $60 per person and are now on sale at the DCAFS office at 655 Riddell Rd.

Thank you and best of the season,

Bernadette Hardaker

DCAFs Board Member

Firearm concerns?

Firearms are present in an estimated 17 per cent of Canadian households. There are almost eight million firearms in Canada (or about two firearms for every 10 people). The majority of Canadian firearm owners have long guns, which they use for hunting, sport and wildlife control.

“Firearms in the home must be stored safely,” says Canada Safety Council president Jack Smith. The Canada Safety Council recommends locking the firearms in a cabinet, container or room that is difficult to break into, and storing the ammunition separately.”

If you have firearms in your home, or if you’re visiting someone who does, Smith advises you to make sure safe storage practices are in place. The Canadian Firearms Program has a toll-free number you can call to discuss any safety concern related to firearms.

Dr. Alan Drummond, with the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, says long guns are a major concern for doctors in rural areas, where firearm ownership is more common. “As a rural emergency physician and coroner, I have seen my share of accidental injuries and deaths inflicted by rifles and shotguns,” he says. In his community of Perth, Ontario, he finds that incidents of firearm deaths and injuries increase in situations where an unsafely stored gun is readily available.

The rate of firearms deaths in Canada has been falling year by year. In 2001, there were 837 firearms related deaths, or 2.70 per 100,000 Canadians. In 2011, the last year for which statistics are available, 679 Canadians died from shootings. Despite a growing population, that’s 158 fewer deaths, and the rate was 2.03 per 100,000 – a 25 per cent drop compared to 2001.

For safety reasons, Canadian firearms regulations require gun owners to be properly trained and licensed. The law also requires firearms to be safely stored when not in use. Safe storage includes keeping guns unloaded and locked, with ammunition stored separately or locked up.

Firearms licences can be denied or revoked if there are public safety concerns and risks. In 2013, the Canadian Firearms Program refused 886 firearms licence applications and revoked 2,497 firearms licences.

If you observe unsafe storage or use of firearms, or have a concern about firearms, call the Canadian Firearms Program’s toll-free (non-emergency) number during regular business hours, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. nationwide, Monday to Friday.

Telephone: 1 800 731-4000

You can also email cfp-pcaf@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.

If you have an urgent or life-threatening concern related to a firearm, call 911 or your local emergency police number.